Twitter and Facebook 'more important than family' to children

Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are more important than family to a quarter of children, a survey has found.

Social networking websites like Twitter are more important than family to children, a survey has found Photo: TWITTER

The poll, commissioned by National Family Week, reveals the influence of technology on youngsters – and the extent to which parents underestimate it.

Some 28 per cent of the eight to 15-year-olds questioned cited websites such as Facebook, Twitter and MSN as the most important thing to them.

Social networking had a bigger impact on girls than boys. Asked to name what is most important to them, the top three choices for girls were popularity and having friends, followed by family, and then social networking sites.

For boys the top three were family, followed by money and then popularity and having friends.

Just 6 per cent of boys chose social networking, compared with four in ten girls.

The study, which surveyed 3,000 parents and 1,000 children across the UK, reveals parents overestimate the role they play in their child's life.
Two thirds of parents (66 per cent) said they thought they were the biggest influence in their child's life. But only 49 per cent of children said the same.
The survey also examined how youngsters feel about spending time with their families.
Over a quarter (26 per cent) of boys did not think they spent enough time with their family, compared with one in six (16 per cent) of girls.
One in four boys wanted to spend more time with both their parents, compared with 15 per cent of girls.
National Family Week, backed by organisations including the NSPCC and the National Literacy Trust, encourages families to spend more time together. The week runs from May 31 to June 6.